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ers. All of feminism lost a
great voice this summer,
and in tribute to her and her
many contributions, I end
with some of her words:
La mestiza has discovered that
she can’t hold concepts or ideas
in rigid boundaries. The bor-
ders and walls that are sup-
posed to keep the undesirable
ideas out are entrenched habits
and patterns of behavior; these
habits and patterns are the
enemy within. Rigidity means
death. Only by remaining
flexible is she able to stretch the
psyche horizontally and verti-
cally…La mestiza creates a
new consciousness.…The an-
swer to the problem between the
white race and the colored,
between males and females, lies
in healing the split that origi-
nates in the very foundation of
our lives, our culture, our lan-
guages, our thoughts. A mas-
sive uprooting of dualistic
thinking in the individual and
collective consciousness is the
beginning of a long struggle,
but one that could, in our best
hopes, bring us to the end of
rape, of violence, of war.
“La conciencia de la mestiza:
Towards a New Consciousness”
from Making Face, Making
Soul: Haciendo Caras
May it be so.
“Women in the Middle:
Borders, Barriers, Intersec-
tions” – this was the theme
of the National Women’s
Studies Association 25th
Annual Conference in Mil-
waukee that I and many
others from the Twin Ports
attended this summer. I
was impressed by how
many of us were there from
the Twin Ports – writers,
activists, students and aca-
demics from St. Scholastica,
Lake Superior College,
UWS, and UMD. We are
fortunate to be part of a
community that is so ac-
tively engaged in generating
feminism. As the theme of
the conference suggested, I
look forward in the upcom-
ing year to overcoming
some of the barriers of time
and location that act to
separate us, so that we may
join together in the com-
mon interests that brought
us together in a different
city.
The opening keynote panel
of the Conference focused
on the generations of femi-
nism, and bridging the Sec-
ond Wave/Third Wave
gap. As I reflect on that
theme with regard to our
own department at UMD, I
am quite struck by the ab-
sence of such a gap. We are
continually in the process of
creating deep and strong
connections among genera-
tions of feminists here. I
think of our many genera-
tions (an academic genera-
tion seems about 2 years to
me) of WS graduates – of
how they have gone on to
become strong activists and
advocates for women, as
well as teachers of future
generations, and mothers of
future generations, and
know that our work takes
seed and blossoms in so
many ways. I am also glad
to report that our most re-
cent graduates have all
found good uses for their
many talents in feminist
work, further study, and
parenting.
The closing plenary fo-
cused on “Women and
Globalism: Coalitions and
Conflict Across Difference,”
and I think of how every day
I feel blessed to be working
in a department that is so
enriched by our diverse
racial, sexual, ethnic, and
international backgrounds.
This theme also brings to
mind feminist thinker and
activist, Gloria Anzaldua,
who did so much work on
crossing borders and barri-
FROM THE DEPARTMENT
HEAD
BY BETH BARTLETT
UMD DEPARTMENT
OF
WOMEN
’S
STUDIES
OCTOBER 2004
VOLUME 18, ISSUE 1
NORTH
SHORE
VISIONS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
CONGRATULATIONS
TO ...
2
UPCOMING EVENTS
2
CONGRATULATIONS
TO … CONTINUED
3
CALL FOR PROPOS-
ALS & CONFERENCES
3
EMPLOYMENT
3
AS WE GO TO PRESS
4
Helen Velishek who received a
Raymond W. Darland All-
American Scholarship for the
2004-2005 academic year.
The scholarship program was
established by Regent Emeri-
tus Richard L. Griggs in
honor of Provost Emeritus
Raymond W. Darland. Schol-
arship criteria are academic
achievement and leadership
contributions to UMD.
Helen is a Women’s Studies
major with a Spanish minor.
This UMD senior has inter-
ests in love (and the propaga-
tion of), humans, wisdom,
the Universe and all it entails,
communication, walking,
music and reading. Besides
the Darland All-American
Scholarship, Helen also re-
ceived the Harry Oden Schol-
arship.
Heather Hamilton, psychology
and women’s studies major,
coaching minor graduated last
year, current graduate stu-
dent at UMD received a
NCAA postgraduate scholar-
ship in July. The 22-year-old
is a track All-American and
also an Academic All-
American who carried a
Continued on Page 3
CONGRATULATIONS
TO
...
UPCOMING
EVENTS
ism, education and the envi-
ronment through a female
lens, Kirby 311.
Nov. 3. Post Election Discus-
sion: “Celebration or Disappoint-
ment” round table discussion
providing a safe area for vot-
ers to share their position
about the results of the elec-
tion. All viewpoints welcome
and encouraged. Kirby 355.
Nov. 17. “Women and Poverty”
panel discussion on the im-
pact of the economy on
women and children. Kirby
355.
Dec. 1. “Breaking the Mir-
ror:” Ten women present-
ing monologues, sharing
their anger and frustrations
about unrealistic beauty
standards and being at war
wit their bodies. Kirby
Lounge.
For more upcoming
events, please check our
website: www.d.umn.edu/ws
OFF-CAMPUS
The YWCA presents Dying
to Vote: A Film and Discus-
sion Series in Trepanier Hall,
202 W. Superior St.
Oct. 20. Not For Ourselves
Alone, Part 1 by Ken Burns.
Oct. 27. Not For Ourselves
Alone, Part 2 by Ken Burns.
Films start at 5:15 p.m., Dis-
cussion at 7 p.m. Bring your
dinner and friends. Free and
open to the public.
Oct. 22. Candidate Forum,
County Commissioners and
State Representatives,
YWCA, 202 W. Superior St.
at 6:30 p.m.
ON-CAMPUS
Oct. 16. Fall Drag Show by
the Queer Students Union,
Kirby Ballroom, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26. Multicultural Stu-
dent Union Open House, 2nd
Floor Kirby, 2-5 p.m.
Oct. 28. Women's Resource &
Action Center OPEN HOUSE.
Everyone Welcome for Free
Food and Live Music! 11
a.m.- 2 p.m. KSC 266
Wednesday Brown Bags
at Noon: Bring a lunch and
get informed!!
Oct. 20. "Sexual Assault & Date
Rape" Information and Pre-
vention presented by Beth
Olson from PAVSA (Program
to Aid Victims of Sexual As-
sault), Kirby 355
Oct. 27. "The Margin of Vic-
tory" A film designed to en-
courage voting by women &
promote discussion on the
economy, health care, terror-
IF YOU GIVE TO
THE UMD FUND
AND DESIGNATE
WOMEN
’S STUDIES
TO RECEIVE YOUR
GIFT
, WE DO
RECEIVE IT AND ARE
VERY GRATEFUL
.
YOUR DONATIONS
HELP US FUND
GREAT FEMINIST
SPEAKERS
,
PROGRAMMING
,
ETC
.
PAGE 2
VOLUME 18, ISSUE 1
Helen Velishek
Continued from Page 2
4.0 grade-point average while
completing a double-major
and a minor. As a junior,
Heather reached the NCAA
Division II Outdoor Champi-
onships. Last May, she made a
return trip, qualifying for the
finals and finishing eighth,
which was enough to earn
All-American honors.
In the classroom, she made
the Dean’s List every semes-
ter and received Academic
All-American honors from
the College Sports Informa-
tion Directors of America the
past two years.
Between track, school, a few
shifts at the Austin-Jarrow
running store and hanging out
with husband Josh Dark,
Heather has found time to
spare. She gives much of it to
the Program for Aid to Vic-
tims of Sexual Assault, which
serves St. Louis County. She
began volunteering two years
ago after going through the
PAVSA training as part of an
internship. Several weeks
during the year, Heather is on
call for PAVSA’s crisis line,
keeping a cell phone with her
in case someone needs help.
She’ll pursue a master’s de-
gree in social work and do
field work with PAVSA,
when she’ll get more in-
volved in the group’s daily
activities. Her women’s stud-
ies courses and time with
PAVSA led to her interest in
social work. Heather also
wants to coach.
Chairperson, Search Commit-
tee, Indiana University, Dept
of Gender Studies, Memorial
Hall East, Room 130, 1021 E
3rd St, Bloomington, IN
47405.
Entry-level tenure-
eligible Assistant Profes-
sor of Women’s Studies at
Northern Arizona University.
To apply, please send a letter
Tenure-Track Faculty (2
positions) for the Depart-
ment of Gender Studies at
Indiana University-
Bloomington. Please submit
a letter of interest, detailing
research agendas as well as
teaching experience and phi-
losophy, along with a CV and
names, addresses, emails, and
phone numbers of three ref-
erences by Nov. 1, 2004, to
of interest, CV, transcripts,
three original letters of refer-
ence, evidence of quality of
teaching and teaching effec-
tiveness, writing sample, and
evidence of scholarship and
publications to Chair,
Women’s Studies Search
Committee, Box 5695, North
Arizona University, Flagstaff,
AZ 86011. Review of applica-
tions begins Oct. 15, 2004.
CONGRATULATIONS
TO
…
EMPLOYMENT
CALL
FOR
PROPOSALS
/UPCOMING
CONFERENCES
mission deadline: Nov. 8,
2004. Registration forms
available in the WS depart-
ment office.
June 19-21, 2005. IWPR 8th
International Women’s Policy
Research Conference, When
Women Gain, So Does the
World, Washington, D.C.
For more info, email confer-
ence@iwpr.org.
For more conferences, go to
the NWSA website:
Oct. 28-29, 2004. 6th An-
nual Conference on Illi-
nois History, Prairie Capital
Center, Springfield, IL. Reg-
istration deadline: Oct. 18.
For more info, contact Donna
Lawrence at
donna_lawrence@ihpa.state.
il.us or call 217-785-7933.
June 9-12, 2005. NWSA
26th Annual Conference,
Orlando, FL. Proposal sub-
“You believe now in
the necessity and
beauty of struggle:
that feminism for
you means working
for the equality
and humanity of
women and men,
for children, for the
love that is
possible.” - Nellie
Wong
PAGE 3
VOLUME 18, ISSUE 1
Heather Hamilton
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 705
Duluth, Minnesota
University of Minnesota Duluth
475 Humanities
1201 Ordean Court
Duluth MN 55812
Phone: 218-726-7953
Email: ws@d.umn.edu
Website: www.d.umn.edu/ws
UMD DEPARTMENT OF
WOMEN
’S STUDIES
curity benefits; questions
about the state of the envi-
ronment and the increasing
toxic stew in which we live,
with its resultant alarming
increases in breast cancer
rates and exposures of our-
selves and our children to
neurotoxins and reproduc-
tive toxins, some of the
greatest concentrations of
which are in mothers’ milk;
questions about our abandon-
ment of global partnerships
that advance the rights and
health of women and the
environment -- the Kyoto
Treaty on global warming,
the United Nations Popula-
tion Fund that works for
family planning, safe births,
HIV/AIDS prevention and a
We have just finished the
last round of three presiden-
tial debates, and in each case,
the moderator, the person
charged with choosing the
questions, was a privileged
white male. What I found
most appalling and disturbing
about this were the questions
that were NOT asked –
questions about the increas-
ing poverty rates of women
and children, women who
are disproportionately single
mothers, women of color,
and elderly women living
alone, and the slashing of
support for programs that
serve this population, such as
housing subsidies, WIC,
child care and early educa-
tion, and possibly Social Se-
reduction of violence against
women, and the Interna-
tional Criminal Court, which
for the first time will try rape
as a war crime. This is just
the beginning of a list of hard
questions that were not
asked, that need to be asked.
In these last few weeks be-
fore the election, we need to
do whatever we can – writ-
ing letters to the editor, talk-
ing with our neighbors, con-
tacting the campaigns --to
make these issues visible.
We must not be silenced.
Thousands dedicated their
lives to gaining the right to
vote for women, thousands
more to the achievement of
the Voting Rights Act
(celebrating its 40th annivers-
AS WE GO TO PRESS ...
BY BETH BARTLETT
THE UNIVERSITY
OF
MINNESOTA IS
AN
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EDUCATOR
AND EMPLOYER
.
ary this year), but this cam-
paign process has allowed
our concerns to be marginal-
ized. We need to demon-
strate – through our voices
and through our votes – that
candidates must be held ac-
countable to the needs and
concerns of ALL of the citi-
zens of this country, not just
a privileged few.